8/4/09 i got my 3rd tour replacement within a week.. 8/5/09 i brought the phone to a sprint corporate store because of yet another trackball issue.. Waited forever for them to tell me they DIDNT have a tour trackball so would i mind taking a white trackball (curve trackball, etc..) They made the swap and it fixed any trackball problems i have been having (sticking, moving left/right, slow response).. After the swap the trackball is also no longer deep in the phone but sits the same as it does in previous BB's, so scrolling and clicking are no problem.. So if you are continuing to have trackball problems go to a Sprint Corporate store and ask them not to exchange the phone but just to switch the trackball to white ball or previous BB's ball.. This should set a new tone for a BB Tour's and Sprint/Verizon might finally get the message that they have a serious issue with the Tour trackball.. Enjoy!!! Hope this helps!!!

i got my tour tuesday was about to bring it back becuase left / right is crazy! I mean horrible response, worst blackberry ball I have used. I thought it has to be just the one i got! I just came to search this morning to see if others have this issue and i guess they do! So the only fix is a new trackball?

3) Does anyone know if the reason they picked this version of trackball is because eventually we should be able to swap this ball out for the "touch pad" that will be coming out soon?

I dont think you will be able to swap out the trackball for a trackpad.
Having seen a better image of the gemini, the plate where the buttons and trackpad is, is not a seperate plate; its actually part of the screen.
I don't think there will be a plate to swap out with a trackpad.

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"That's it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings... and call off Christmas."

I wonder if i should try to exchange my tour as its is very annoying to use the phone. Left and Right is a nightmare :(. I switched from iphone back to blackbery for a real keyboard but the tour is the only verizon blackberry i like and i already ported and am happy with my signal so i would like to stay but its hard to function with the trackball the way it is. I had a bold before also that was great!

I dont think you will be able to swap out the trackball for a trackpad.
Having seen a better image of the gemini, the plate where the buttons and trackpad is, is not a seperate plate; its actually part of the screen.
I don't think there will be a plate to swap out with a trackpad.

Interesting... the pics I saw looked like it could be a seamless swap, which would include the bar containing the BlackBerry button and Back button. We shall see...

I wonder if i should try to exchange my tour as its is very annoying to use the phone. Left and Right is a nightmare :(. I switched from iphone back to blackbery for a real keyboard but the tour is the only verizon blackberry i like and i already ported and am happy with my signal so i would like to stay but its hard to function with the trackball the way it is. I had a bold before also that was great!

the bold was the phone that originally made me want a blackberry and since sprint didnt release it the next best thing was the tour.. yea the phone is very annoying for its issues but overall its a great phone and once the kinks all will be good. My last trackball was sticking when i scrolled down and going to the right took forever to respond. i guess just take it to them and have a tech look at it, and ask if the trackball can just be replaced with the curve,bold or w/e ball they have that is white. Trust me your phone will be good then and youll be happy you did

i got my tour tuesday was about to bring it back becuase left / right is crazy! I mean horrible response, worst blackberry ball I have used. I thought it has to be just the one i got! I just came to search this morning to see if others have this issue and i guess they do! So the only fix is a new trackball?

yea a trackball replacement is the only fix.. its a simple mechanical flaw with ONLY THE TOUR TRACKBALL.. I think it has more to do with how sensitive to touch the tour trackball is and how far down it goes, so swapping the trackball for a curve,bold white trackball fixes that problem and it takes absolutely nothing away from the phone actually it makes navigating soooooo much easier.. Take it and ask to have a tech replace the ball..

I received a Tour this morning and had the same issue with terrible trackball response going left and right. I discovered that if I don't apply too much pressure downwards and just roll the ball left and right, it responds just fine. Can anyone else check and see if lightly rolling left and right "cures" this issue?

I received a Tour this morning and had the same issue with terrible trackball response going left and right. I discovered that if I don't apply too much pressure downwards and just roll the ball left and right, it responds just fine. Can anyone else check and see if lightly rolling left and right "cures" this issue?

I bought two Tour's from Sprint over the phone. One worked perfectly, the other had the horizontal trackball issue. I tried every adjustment and solution that was offered. I called and spoke to Blackberry tech support tier 2 and they sent out a complete brand new phone. It works perfectly out of the box. I return the first phone complete and received credit for the second within days. They sent by email a return shipping label. Luckily I had backed up all of my info so setting up the new phone was a breeze. I have read many different threads regarding this issue and have tried many of them. It seems that this is a manufacturing issue and the only fix is to replace the phone. I hope they will revise the trackball in future versions of this phone. The Tour is absolutely one of the best phones I have owned.

We also had a problem with the horizontal trackball. I would suggest anyone thinking about taking one of these home test it in the store to save the hassle of a return. I returned the first one and the replacement works just fine.

I received a Tour this morning and had the same issue with terrible trackball response going left and right. I discovered that if I don't apply too much pressure downwards and just roll the ball left and right, it responds just fine. Can anyone else check and see if lightly rolling left and right "cures" this issue?

I haven't had any problems with my trackball. When I read your post though, I gave it a try. I put some pressure on the ball and it did not respond left-right very well. Sometimes it would work, other times nothing. However, I'm usually pretty light with the trackball, so I had never seen this problem. It only requires a light touch to move it, you don't have to push down at all.

I haven't had any problems with my trackball. When I read your post though, I gave it a try. I put some pressure on the ball and it did not respond left-right very well. Sometimes it would work, other times nothing. However, I'm usually pretty light with the trackball, so I had never seen this problem. It only requires a light touch to move it, you don't have to push down at all.

On my first Tour (which had a glitchy trackball), it was slightly better with very very light pressure on the trackball, but still unacceptable. My replacement works like it should- light touch, firm touch, doesn't matter.

I guess my point is, you shouldn't HAVE to consciously think about using light pressure on the trackball. If so, in my opinion exchange it for a new one, its defective.

I am on my second tour and this one was better than the first for awhile but it is starting to hang a bit from time to time. Guys at Verizon store said they have replacement balls in but are not allowed to switch them out. They are just giving new phones.

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So trackball was really bad today so I called Verizon to find store that had/did trackball replacements and the one he led me to and even called them before hand. When I got there they said they can't do it. So left cause I was heading to work and called tech support back and they told me they usually just swap the phone since it is a problem with the manufacturer. He said some stores have techs that are familiar with it but don't count on it. Especially since you have to take the phone apart now. So tour number three is on its way to me now. Will see how this one does. ...heavy sigh....

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"You can't be truly free unless you have nothing to lose."

the track ball is bad. the worst ive ever had. and although i love the phone im considering going back to my curve 8330. Verizon is going to release a software supposedly in the next 30 days that will fix the issue. but i have a hard time believing any software can fix this ball issue.